Sandwich woman overrun with rats

Sunday

Jan 29, 2012 at 2:00 AM

Love was in the air after a middle-aged Sandwich woman bought two rats from a pet shop to save them from the jaws of a snake.

Renee Nadeau Algarin

Love was in the air after a middle-aged Sandwich woman bought two rats from a pet shop to save them from the jaws of a snake. Just three months later, the two rats turned into 71, and the woman on Thursday turned to the MSPCA for help.

"She realized she was in over her head, and she drove to Boston," said Rob Halpin, spokesman for the MSPCA.

If this story sounds familiar, that's because it is.

Last week, the animal agency took in 94 hamsters from a Lawrence man who adopted two hamsters and could not care for the growing brood.

Luckily for the MSPCA, the 165 rodents are low maintenance and cost less to care for than many pets. Rats, however, can be difficult to place in homes, Halpin said.

"There are many more homes for hamsters than there are homes for rats. It is a smaller audience of enthusiasts for rats," Halpin said.